X marks the spot: Flames’ first focus is on getting in

No player or coach will tell you what they really think, even if they do have a preference when it comes to a first-round NHL playoff matchup.

Right now, as they return home from a three-game road trip and prepare for a four game home stand, the Calgary Flames are simply looking for that X. It’s the postseason-defining marker next to their name in the standings and it could come as early as Wednesday, depending on a few different scenarios, including if the Flames beat the visiting Colorado Avalanche on Monday and the Los Angeles Kings on Wednesday, combined with a Kings loss in Edmonton Tuesday.

“We’re just trying to get in,” Sean Monahan said after Saturday’s 3-2 overtime victory over the St. Louis Blues at Scottrade Center.

Currently, they sit in the first wildcard spot in the Western Conference with 88 points and a 42-29-4 record. Five teams have already qualified for the 2017 NHL postseason: The Chicago Blackhawks and Minnesota Wild in the Western Conference, while the Washington Capitals, Columbus Blue Jackets, and Pittsburgh Penguins are in from the Eastern Conference.

But outside of (most likely) the Western Conference-leading Blackhawks, home-ice advantage is completely up in the air.

Matt Bartkowski was with the Boston Bruins in 2014-15 when they were in a battle down the stretch and wound up missing the post-season by two points despite a 41-27-14 record and 96 points.

The situation the Flames are in right now — creeping toward a playoff spot in the coming days — is no less pressure-filled, but much different than fighting for their playoff lives.

The formula, for those of you needing a refresher, is this:

Eight teams in each conference qualify and are separated in four brackets by division. Each bracket consists of the top three teams in the division plus a wild card. The seeding pits the lower-seeded wild-card team against the division winner with the best record. The other wild card plays against the other division winner. The other two series see the No. 2 and No. 3 teams from each division clash.

Got it? Good. Because the Flames, according to Bartkowski, aren’t thinking about it.

“I don’t think the guys are really worried about who we’re going to play, or whatever,” he said. “We’re just more worried about the process and getting there and maintaining our play because when we’re at our best or close to it, we’re pretty tough to beat.”